2009 Gold Proof Australian Sovereign from Perth Mint

The Perth Mint on Friday launched the 2009 Perth Mint Gold Proof Sovereign, a modern Australian version of a world famous coin. Struck in 22-carat gold and in proof quality for collectors, the newly introduced coin is to be issued annually with an extremely limited worldwide mintage of just 2,500.

The sovereign was a crucial component to the British commerce and banking system and has a history dating back to the 15th century. The Perth Mint was a part of that history, producing more than 100 million of the coins during the reigns of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V.

The reverse or tails side of the gold coin features the Australian Commonwealth Coat of Arms and the inscriptions "AUSTRALIA", "SOVEREIGN" and "P" for the Perth Mint mintmark. As described by the Mint,

"The Coat of Arms consists of the badges of the six States of the Commonwealth on a shield enclosed by an ermine border signifying Australian Federation in 1901. A seven-pointed Star, appears above the shield, which is supported by a kangaroo and an emu. The Coat of Arms appears on a background of golden wattle, Australia’s national floral emblem, and a scroll with the word AUSTRALIA."

The obverse or heads side of the coin has the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the inscriptions "2009", "25 DOLLARS", and "ELIZABETH II".

Coin specification, price and order details

The proof sovereign contains 0.2352 troy ounces of gold with a purity of .9167 (22-carat), weighs 7.9881 grams, has a diameter of 22.60 millimeters and a thickness of 1.75 millimeters.

The current price of the coin is $590 AUS (~$461 US), although it may change based on the prevailing spot price of gold.

About the Perth Mint

The Perth Mint, wholly-owned by the State Government of Western Australia, is the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program. The Mint opened in 1899 in response to the discovery of rich gold deposits in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. It was Australia’s third branch of Britain’s Royal Mint – the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint (both closed).

The Perth Mint remained under Britain’s jurisdiction until 1 July 1970, when ownership transferred to the State Government of Western Australia.

In 2003, The Perth Mint officially opened an 8,400 square metre state-of-the-art manufacturing facility next door to its original limestone building. Dominating the Mint’s heritage precinct, these two important buildings are powerful symbols of more than 100 years of minting excellence in Western Australia.